Reinstate a capable, popular Govt : Cong
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 28 2025: The Congress party has asked BJP MLAs to come together and form a popular Government which can protect people's lives and properties, and restore peace and normalcy in the State.

Speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan, BT Road here today, MPCC vice-president and chief spokesman Hareshwar Goswami recalled that President's Rule was imposed in the State on February 13 in the wake of Chief Minister N Biren's resignation on February 9 .

President's Rule was imposed although BJP enjoys absolute majority in the Manipur Legislative Assembly, he said.

The BJP Government's failure to control law and order, and protect people's lives and properties were the primary factors for the imposition of President's Rule, Hareshwar said.

Reinstate a capable, popular Govt : Cong

Another factor leading to the imposition of PR was disunity and rift among the BJP MLAs of Manipur, he said.

The President's Rule (suspended animation) being imposed in Manipur needs to be approved by the Parliament by April 13 .

In the meantime, the Centre may take a decision regarding imposition of PR in Manipur during the Parliament session which is scheduled to commence from March 10, said the MPCC spokesman.

Although the people of Manipur want a popular Government, the BJP MLAs despite enjoying absolute majority are unable to form a popular Government on account of sharp divisions among the ruling MLAs, he remarked.

Reinstatement of a democratic, popular Government is also the wish of the Congress party, he said.

After village volunteers including the Arambai Tenggol have surrendered weapons to the Government in response to the Governor's appeal, an atmosphere of uncertainty has gripped the people, he said.

Notwithstanding the assurances given by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Governor AK Bhalla to protect the territorial integrity of Manipur, Kukis are still demanding a separate administration.

As long as this demand for separate administration persists, a state of uncertainty will hang over Manipur, he said.

If the Kuki areas are administered directly under the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution outside the purview of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, such an arrangement is nothing but separate arrangement, Hareshwar asserted.

Even if the State's territorial integrity remains intact, granting autonomy to Kukis in the line of Bodoland Territorial Council is nothing short of separate administration, he said.

This is like creating a new State within a State, he added.

The existing ADCs are under the control of the State Assembly.

If the Kukis' demand for autonomous separate administration in the line of Bodoland Territorial Council is acceded to, it will be no different from territorial disintegration of Manipur, he said.

Seven Kuki MLAs including two ex-Ministers are also championing the Kuki demand for separate administration.

Instead of doing anything to de-escalate the crisis, the Kuki MLAs have been escalating the crisis, said the MPCC spokesman.

It's time for hurling allegations and counter allegations.

Instead all sections of society must work collectively to see that National Highways are opened fully and IDPs can go back to their homes, he said.

He also decried the allegation made by some people in the name of certain CSOs just as BJP said that the influx of illegal immigrants was going on since the time of the previous Government.

Even though the BJP Government was undertaking a War on Drugs campaign, very little major drug haul cases were handed over to reliable agencies like the CBI, he said.

On the contrary, all major drug seizure cases were handed over to CBI, he added.

Even though BJP ADC Member Lukhosei Zou was arrested with a huge quantity of drugs, the BJP Government managed to set him free, Hareshwar said.

He also questioned the BJP Government's unwillingness to hand over the case of the seizure of a huge quantity of drugs at Delhi to the CBI .